A Quirky Journey of Life

Month: June 2016

Last month I was brutally honest, and probably a bit TMI, on my health status. I had to be honest with myself and with my own personal upcoming mid-year review of my goals, it had to be said.

So what am I doing about it? I am hitting the vitamins EVERYDAY (well, at least for the last 21 days). When I initially dosed out my supplements, I did so for three times a day. That was not working. Either I forgot in the morning or ended up with a day of “coming home, feed the dog and crash out”.

I know for myself that no matter what, even on a bad, bad day I will eat lunch. I now take all my vitamins, at the same time each day. Viola! Score one for the Lissy.

At the beginning of May I was all excited to do not one but four Instagram challenges…it lasted about three days. My intentions were good, but my body had other plans.

I did stick with one though that I was really excited about. InkWell Press had a 28-day challenge to organize personal spaces (think, bathroom, closets, bedroom and such). Each Sunday started off with a video by Tanya Dalton (owner of InkWellPress) with tips and suggestions for each day of the challenge. This one, I actually finished.

I noticed a particular habit of mine this time around, I have a need to re-shuffle the feathers of my nest about every three years. When I had my cottage house, around the third year I re-painted, re-did and re-organized each room of the adorable little place. At the apartment, it was around the third year there that I did the same (posts are in this blog somewhere). It made me giggle because, I’ve been at the Homestead for about three years now. Talk about having certain cycles in life.

I really, really enjoyed this challenge. It was well organized, unique and inspirational. In total, I gave 12 bags to donation and two full garden trash bags of trash. (trash was also measured by the use of the copious amount of circle circle dot store shopping bags I have, about 9 of those). What was even better, it went well with my 52-Week list I made at the beginning of the year for cleaning my space.

Now I have less physical tasks ahead of me with most of the bigger projects done due to this challenge. There was a hint of maybe another challenge in the future with InkWell, I’d sign up for it if I were you!

Recently I wrote that I was going to work on spending less, I didn’t need a new planner…blah blah blah. So, payday came and in the business that I am in, days can get pretty stressful. I work close to big-box stores that carry crafting and planner supplies and I often “lunch” at said stores. I stressed-shopped my way into the new six-ring planner and goodies.

I took it home and my roomies looked a me askew and said “you just wrote you weren’t going to spend anything on this kind of stuff!”.

Oops.

Not only do I have readers (hello to all…five of you!) but they hold me accountable. Isn’t that my One Little Word this year? Boy do I suck at this or what? Maybe I took on too much with the word I picked. Goodness knows my spending habits could use a bit of structure. Don’t get me wrong, I do take care of my basic needs (rent, groceries, food, pet stuff, and stuff for the house). It’s not like I take my rent money and go off and buy a pair of Jimmy Choo’s (though, I often fantasize about doing just that). What’s left over, that’s my play money, coffee funds and other necessities of life, like make-up.

But some habit’s die hard. I still play “Steal from Peter to pay Paul” more often than I should and the only reason I have a small amount in savings is because I put it in a place that does not have easy, immediate access.

Thank you dear reader’s for the bitch slap I needed to wake up and not be vague and to remember what I write about.

Raise your hands if you have taken on a project and then left it to rot, but not really on purpose. Yea, no srsly, raise your hand. We all have the best intentions with our creative projects and journaling. I have about thirty unused notebooks to prove that.

When I began One Little Word in January, my intentions were good. I had my word (accountability, in case you totally forgot) and my all the project life cards, inserts…ya get it right?

Basically, I am doing it wrong. I am not a project life girl. I have discovered lately, I’m more of “Oh, I like what this picture represents, let’s slap it on a page” girl. Call it Creative Journaling, Collage. What ever you want but it’s working for me.

Pictures next month my darling readers. I have glue in my hair at the moment.

Ever heard the quote from the movie Postcards from the Edge “instant gratification takes too long?” Oh, I am so that girl. I want it and I want it now. If ya know me, this has caused some pretty embarrassing moments in my life (which I will be sharing in my memoir, when I’m ninety, and living in Prague, yelling at children to get off my lawn.)

With respect to recent work changes in my life, I knew I needed a system to help me curb purchases over $50 that I would want to buy on impulse. I can easily waltz into the circle circle dot store and spend that much on pens and household goodies. I needed a change to allow me to budget/reward myself with items that I “think” I want (not really need). Say, like a KikkiK planner (what? I like planners).

Recently, I had completed a cleaning challenge with InkWellPress and I really, really wanted a Baum-Kucken zip wallet for my Midori Traveler’s notebook. I had the money, I could have easily just bought it. Instead, I rewarded myself with the zip well after the challenge was up and only because I finished it.

www.baum-kuchen.net

That’s one way to save up for what you want and not got instantly cray cray and buy it on impulse. Remember that planner I bought on impulse due to stress…not so happy about it.

I now take a post it note, flip my planner to thirty days down the road and write out what I want. Either the feeling will go away or I will have saved up and be ready to purchase.

This is not in any way an unique technique. Any financial guru will tell you to wait on big purchases, I just haven’t been listening.